There is no end to extravagance as you can never have enough money. No matter how much Edgar wanted to keep Rubica, he would have to change his mind if she was extravagant enough to make his family go bankrupt. She decided to use all expenses she would get as a duchess and even get loans.

The national bank will be destroyed 4 years later because of the war, anyway.

Duke Claymores inventions and every weapon produced based on them were the basis of the Seritos Kingdom. The dukes wealth was the kingdoms wealth. Most of his official property, except for the money he used for private purposes, had been entrusted to a national bank. Moreover, the war was going to destroy the kingdom and turn all the money kept in the bank into useless pieces of paper.

Money that was about to be destroyed, and wealth that would vanish eventually.

Rubica didnt even have to feel bad about it, so she decided to enjoy spending money.

What shall I do?

A smile appeared on her face since she had always been saving as soon as she matured enough. She had no memory of living without worrying about money after her mothers death and till her own death at the age of 70. She had always eaten simply and had had clothes just enough to cover herself. Rubica had tried to find beauty in that life, nevertheless, she wanted to dress in silk from across the desert and put jewels, as shining as stars of the night sky, on her neck.

Lets spend as much as I want.

People would criticize her, saying she wasnt behaving like a duchess. Extravagance was a great sin in Seritos. If nobles imported luxurious goods, there wouldnt be enough money to buy agricultural products for the commoners.

However, in this life, Rubica wasnt going to care about that. She decided to buy, dress, and enjoy all kinds of expensive stuff.

That wealth was about to be gone soon. What could possibly go wrong if she spent some of it? It wasnt like anyone was going to get killed because of it.

They cant criticize me for more than 4 years.

That decision made her feel relieved, and soon she fell asleep.

She couldnt even remember when was the last time she had slept in a comfy bed. She slept so well for the first time since forever that the maid didnt wake her up, and she barely managed to open her eyes when the sunlight coming through the windows was bright enough to pierce her eyes.

Ms. Rubica, are you awake?

What time is it?

Its noon.

Rubica immediately sat up on the bed at hearing this.

No! I must go and do Angelas hair!

What?

I cannot be late

Then, she saw the interior of the carriage and the maid looking at her with worried eyes. She realized her new reality only then.

Oh, Im sorry. I guess I was still sleepy.

Its okay, Ms. Rubica.

Fortunately, the maid smiled as if she could understand Rubica. As soon as she got out of the bed, the maid brought a basin full of warm water for washing the face.

It was a white porcelain vase. Next to it, there were soft towels and two kinds of soap.

I didnt know which scent you liked, so I prepared two kinds. They are rose and olive.

They were both high-quality soaps made of oil and natural soda. Rubica lightly put her hands in the basin and made foams with olive soap that had a not-so-strong scent.

Seeing soap made her think of Arman again.

***

Soap was used to wash away dirtiness and defeat diseases. It was only for the nobles. As there had been many patients at the abbey, Rubica had had no choice but to reuse dirty bandages.

I wish we had clean bandages

Rubica sometimes sighed as she wrapped dirty bandages around the patients bodies. She always applied medicine to the wounds, but she didnt know if it would work because of the dirty bandages. However, leaving the wound unwrapped made it attract flies, and it was an even bigger problem. Moreover, there werent enough bandages.

Bandages wont become clean, no matter how much we wash them with lye.

Why dont you use soap? Arman asked back as he heard about the patients condition and chose the medicines next to Rubica.

It hadnt yet been a year since he started to work at the abbey, and Rubica burst into laughter at that innocent remark.

Arman, you used to be a nobleman, didnt you?

Why do you think so?

soap is extremely expensive. Only nobles can use such a thing.

Real ly?

Wow, you really dont know. I was right, you must have been a nobleman of high rank, so high that someone like me wouldnt have dared to talk to you.

No, no, Rubica. I just dont know much about that kind of things, thats all

I was joking, Arman.

Rubica smiled at seeing Armans ears turn red. At the time, making fun of Arman was her greatest pleasure.

Oh, I hope soaps would rain from the sky.

Dont most people wish for money to rain?

But money wont make soap. Things are often not for sale on the market, the whole world is short on supplies.

Rubica finished wrapping the bandage around the patient and finished it with a pretty knot. Then, she stood up to move on to the next patient. Arman felt it and quickly stood up as well. He could realize things as if he could see. Sometimes Rubica wondered if he was just pretending to be blind.

Its so strange, Arman. My homeland. They could make weapons that could fly, but why did they never invent cheap soap?

cheap soap?

Rubica took Armans hand so that he wouldnt be lost. The hand was dry, but it warmed her heart.

Yes, there are both expensive and cheap things in the world. I wish we had cheap soap for washing bandages, it doesnt need to have a luxurious scent.

cheap soap.

Arman repeated after her, and he was nowhere to be seen on the next day. At first, Rubica thought he had temporarily left the abbey to run errands for the priests.

Um, Father, where is Arman?

On the third day, she eventually found the courage and asked a priest who was close to Arman. Arman was blind, so Rubica was worried if he was eating properly.

He is at Lefenas reference room, he said he needed to work on something.

Priestess Lefena? She let him use her reference room?

Yes, she even said Arman could use her lab.

Rubicas jaw dropped at this. Lefena was like the right-hand woman of the abbot. She was the most ill-tempered woman in the abbey. She would often nag to Rubica, saying she wrapped the bandages in wrong way and used the wrong herbs. She extremely hated it when someone went into her reference room where she kept the rare books and herbs she had collected.

She would say fools could disturb the rooms order. And she had let Arman use both her reference room and her lab?

And, what about his meals?

Do not worry about it, sister. Priestess Lefena is bringing him his meals.

Rubica opened her mouth even wider at this. She imagined the bad-tempered priestess carrying a tray with food on it. She couldnt help laughing.

Thank you for letting me know.

I will tell him you were worried about him.

No! I dont know what this is about, but I dont want him to be disturbed because of me.

The priest smiled warmly at this, and Rubica liked that smile. Always smile to people around you. That was Hues teaching. Because of it, the priests in the abbey smiled a lot. Rubica hadnt gotten such a smile before she entered the abbey.

Rubica thought she would be able to see Arman again at least a week later. However, she couldnt meet him even after a month.

Is he eating properly?

She was even more worried as it was none other than Lefena who was bringing him the meals. She was the kind of person who would give only clear soup every day and think she had done her duty. She didnt want Arman to faint because of malnutrition. She was more and more worried.

What is he doing? Why is he not coming out of the lab?

Before she realized it, she started to think about Arman every day. Waiting, fear, and sighs were added to her worries. She even blamed Arman for leaving without telling her.

She worked even harder to get rid of the gloomy mood. She voluntarily took care of the patients with infectious diseases who even priests didnt like to get near to. She did every hard work at the abbey. It was time to start worrying more about her than Arman.